According to Caracol Radio via Sport Witness (h/t Football London), West Ham are yet to offer a contract extension to veteran midfielder Carlos Sanchez.
Sanchez’s current deal with the Hammers is set to expire this summer and the report suggests that he is most likely to face the exit door, with his deal yet to be renewed. The 34-year-old Colombian joined West Ham on a free transfer from Serie A side Fiorentina in the summer of 2018.
Despite moving to England two years ago, Sanchez has featured just 17 times across all competitions for West Ham so far. The veteran defensive midfielder has spent the major portion of his time at the London Stadium on the sidelines, mostly as a backup for the highly-rated Declan Rice and club legend Mark Noble.
In his maiden season at the East London side, Sanchez made just 9 appearances in total, missing almost whole of his campaign due to a knee injury. He played seven times in the Premier League last season, starting just two times.
However, luck seems to have not favoured the veteran player, with Rice establishing himself as one of the best players not just in West Ham but the Premier League itself.
Sanchez has made six appearances in the league this term, however, five of them have been from the bench. This gives a fair idea that he is clearly not in the club’s plans for the future.
Moreover, the arrival of Tomas Soucek from Salvia Prague on loan in January has put him further down the pecking order. Also, the return of midfielder Jack Wilshere after his injury will mean that Sanchez’s chances of making a first-team appearance will be increasingly limited in the coming days.
With the side already well-stocked in the midfield, Sanchez looks surplus to the club’s requirements at the moment.
Considering all this, it would be best that West Ham offload Sanchez as it could save them a lot of money and time. The Hammers clearly have no use of him and it seems foolish of the club to hold on to him unnecessarily.
West Ham already have one of the top midfielders in the Premier League in Rice. He is a definite starter, meaning Sanchez’s chances of a first-team appearance will be very few in the future. Moreover, he turned 34 in February and is nearing the end of his career. They should rather sell him and invest in somebody young.
